Temperature conditioning device

ABSTRACT

A temperature conditioning device has a connection tube assembly, a heat exchange unit, a system controller, and a wrap assembly connected to the connection tube assembly. The wrap assembly has a water bag, an air bag and a sleeve wrapped around the air bag and the water bag. The system controller has a water pump for drawing liquid from the heat exchange unit to the water bag to cool or warm a body part of a user, and a pneumatic pump for inflating the air bag to provide holding force. The temperature conditioning device forms a water cycle between the heat exchange unit and the water bag so the water bag is able to keep a cool or warm temperature to comfort a user continuously.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a temperature conditioning device,especially to a temperature conditioning device that regulates humanbody temperature or animal body temperature.

2. Description of the Prior Art(s)

When a person has a fever or hyperthermia, an ice pack is used to lowerbody temperature and ease discomfort. When the person is injured orexercises strenuously, a compression wrap that is filled with ice cubesand cool liquid or is filled with hot liquid is used to comfortuncomfortable body parts.

However, as temperature of the ice pack or the compression wrap reachesa normal human body temperature, the user has to resume the temperatureof the ice pack or the compression wrap to a lower or a highertemperature by replacing contents in the ice pack or the compressionwrap, which is troublesome. As the replacement of contents takes place,the relieving of discomfort for the user must be interrupted.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides atemperature conditioning device to mitigate or obviate theaforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a temperatureconditioning device. The temperature conditioning device has aconnection tube assembly, a heat exchange unit, a system controller anda wrap assembly connected to the connection tube assembly. The wrapassembly has a water bag, an air bag and a sleeve wrapped around the airbag and the water bag. The system controller has a water pump fordrawing liquid from the heat exchange unit to the water bag to cool orwarm a body part of a user, and a pneumatic pump for inflating the airbag to provide holding force.

The temperature conditioning device forms a water cycle between the heatexchange unit and the water bag so the water bag is able to keep a coolor warm temperature to comfort a user continuously.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a temperature conditioning device in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the temperature conditioningdevice in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a container of the temperatureconditioning device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an operational top view of the temperature conditioning devicein FIG. 1, showing one temperature conditioning device is stored in abag; and

FIG. 5 is another operational top view of the temperature conditioningdevice in FIG. 1, showing two temperature conditioning devices arestored in the bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1, a temperature conditioning device 1 inaccordance with the present invention comprises a connection tubeassembly 40, a heat exchange unit 10, a system controller 20, a wrapassembly 30, a temperature gauge 51 and a water filter 52.

With further reference to FIG. 2, the connection tube assembly 40 has afirst water output tube 41, a second water output tube 42, a water inputtube 43 and an air input tube 44.

With further reference to FIG. 3, the heat exchange unit 10 has acontainer 11, a cap 12, a water exit connector 14, a water returnconnector 15, a pressure limit valve 16 and a check valve 17.

The container 11 is filled with ice cubes and cool liquid or is filledwith hot liquid, and has an opening 111 formed through the container 11.The cap 12 is mounted on the container 11 and is mounted around theopening 111 of the container 11.

The water exit connector 14 is mounted through the container 11, ismounted through the cap 12, is connected to the first water output tube41 and has an outer end, an inner end and a duct 13. The outer end ofthe water exit connector 14 protrudes out of the container 11 and isconnected to the first water output tube 41. The inner end of the waterexit connector 14 protrudes into the container 11. The duct 13 ismounted on the inner end of the water exit connector 14 and protrudesinward into the container 11. Thus, the first water output tube 41communicates with the container 11. The water return connector 15 ismounted through the container 11, is mounted through the cap 12 and isconnected to the water input tube 43.

The pressure limit valve 16 is mounted in the water return connector 15.The check valve 17 is mounted through the container 11, is mountedthrough the cap 12 and automatically allows air outside the container 11to flow into the container 11.

The system controller 20 has a casing 21, a water pump 22 and apneumatic pump 23. The water pump 22 is mounted in the casing 21 and isconnected to the first water output tube 41 and the second water outputtube 42. The pneumatic pump 23 is mounted in the casing 21 and isconnected to the air input tube 44.

The wrap assembly 30 has an air bag 31, a water bag 32, a sleeve 33 andan air release valve 34. The air bag 31 is connected to the air inputtube 44. The water bag 32 overlaps the air bag 31 and is connected tothe second water output tube 42 and the water input tube 43. The sleeve33 is wrapped around the air bag 31 and the water bag 32. The airrelease valve 34 is mounted through the air bag 31 and automaticallyreleases air overcharged in the air bag 31 to prevent the air bag 31from blowing up.

The temperature gauge 51 is mounted on the second water output tube 42and the water input tube 43, is disposed adjacent to the wrap assembly30 and detects temperatures of the liquids that flow into and flow outof the water bag 32. Thus, the user is able to observe the differencebetween the temperature of the liquid flowing into the water bag 32 andthe temperature of the liquid flowing out of the water bag 32.

The water filter 52 is mounted on the first water output tube 41 andfilters out impurities in the liquid.

With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, one, two or more temperatureconditioning devices 1 may be stored in a bag 60 for the convenience oftransportation.

The wrap assembly 30 is wrapped around a body part of a user. When thewater pump 22 is activated, the water pump 22 draws liquid in thecontainer 11 and pumps the liquid into the water bag 32. Then the liquidin the water bag 32 is pushed out of the water bag 32, flows through thewater input tube 43, opens the pressure limit valve 16 in the waterreturn connector 15 and then flows back into the container 11. Thepneumatic pump 23 inflates or deflates the air bag 31 to allow the airbag 31 to tighten or loosen the hold on the body part of the user.

As the container 11 is airtight and the water pump 22 draws the liquidout of the container 11, interior of the container 11 becomes a partialvacuum. The check valve 17 mounted on the cap 12 allows air outside thecontainer 11 to flow into the container 11 to relieve vacuum state.Thus, the water pump 22 is able to keep working without beingoverloaded.

The pressure limit valve 16 allows the liquid to flow back into thecontainer 11 whenever the water pump 22 is activated, and stops theliquid from entering the container 11 whenever the water pump 22 stopsworking. Therefore, as the water pump 22 stops working, even if theliquid expands or the water bag 32 shrinks, the liquid in the water bag32 does not flow back into the container 11. Consequently, cooling orwarming effect of the temperature conditioning device is maintained.Moreover, since the water pump 22 does not need to keep workingcontinuously, electric power supply to the water pump 22 is saved andtemperature of the water bag 32 does not become too low or too highcausing discomfort of the user.

Preferably, the system controller 20 further has a pressure detector 24,an air guiding tube 25 and a solenoid valve 26. The pressure detector 24is mounted in the casing 21. The air guiding tube 25 has two endsrespectively connected to the pneumatic pump 23 and the pressuredetector 24. The solenoid valve 26 is electrically connected to and iscontrolled by the pressure detector 24, and controls communicationbetween the air guiding tube 25 and the air input tube 44. The air inputtube 44 is connected to the pneumatic pump 23 via the solenoid valve 26and the air guiding tube 25.

Thus, the pressure detector 24 detects air pressure of pressurized airthat is pumped out of the pneumatic pump 23 and controls the solenoidvalve 26 to stop the pressurized air from entering the air input tube 44when the pressurized air is over pressurized, or to allow thepressurized air to enter the air input tube 44 when the pressurized airhas normal air pressure.

The temperature conditioning device 1 as described has the followingadvantage. The container 11, the connection tube assembly 40 and thewater bag 32 form a water cycle between the container 11 and the waterbag 32. Therefore, the water bag 32 is able to keep a cool or warmtemperature to comfort the user continuously.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention have been set forth in the foregoing description, togetherwith details of the structure and features of the invention, thedisclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details,especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts withinthe principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by thebroad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims areexpressed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A temperature conditioning device comprising: aconnection tube assembly having: a first water output tube; a secondwater output tube; and a water input tube; a heat exchange unit having:a container; a water exit connector mounted through the container andconnected to the first water output tube; and a water return connectormounted through the container and connected to the water input tube; asystem controller having a water pump connected to the first wateroutput tube and the second water output tube; and a wrap assembly havinga water bag connected to the second water output tube and the waterinput tube.
 2. The temperature conditioning device as claimed in claim1, wherein the connection tube assembly further has an air input tube;the system controller further has a pneumatic pump connected to the airinput tube; and the wrap assembly further has an air bag overlapping thewater bag and connected to the air input tube; and a sleeve wrappedaround the air bag and the water bag.
 3. The temperature conditioningdevice as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wrap assembly further has anair release valve mounted through the air bag and automaticallyreleasing air overcharged in the air bag.
 4. The temperatureconditioning device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system controllerfurther has a pressure detector; an air guiding tube having two endsrespectively connected to the pneumatic pump and the pressure detector;and a solenoid valve electrically connected to and controlled by thepressure detector, and controlling communication between the air guidingtube and the air input tube; and the air input tube is connected to thepneumatic pump via the solenoid valve and the air guiding tube.
 5. Thetemperature conditioning device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the heatexchange unit further has a check valve mounted through the containerand allowing air outside the container to flow into the container. 6.The temperature conditioning device as claimed in claim 5, wherein theheat exchange unit further has a pressure limit valve mounted in thewater return connector and allowing pressurized liquid to flow into thecontainer.
 7. The temperature conditioning device as claimed in claim 6further having a temperature gauge mounted on the second water outputtube and the water input tube and disposed adjacent to the wrapassembly.
 8. The temperature conditioning device as claimed in claim 7further having a water filter mounted on the first water output tube. 9.The temperature conditioning device as claimed in claim 8, wherein thewater exit connector has an outer end protruding out of the containerand connected to the first water output tube; an inner end protrudinginto the container; and a duct mounted on the inner end of the waterexit connector and protruding inward into the container.
 10. Thetemperature conditioning device as claimed in claim 9, wherein thecontainer of the heat exchange unit has an opening formed through thecontainer; the heat exchange unit further has a cap mounted on thecontainer and mounted around the opening of the container; and the waterexit connector, the water return connector and the check valve aremounted through the cap on the container.